Learning to Live
Learning to Live is a song by Dream Theater. It is the 8th and final song off the band's second album, Images and Words. Personnel * Mike Portnoy - Drums * John Petrucci - Guitar * John Myung - Bass, lyrics * Kevin Moore - Keyboards * James LaBrie - Vocals Lyrics There was no time for pain No energy for anger The sightlessness of hatred slips away Walking through winter streets alone He stops and takes a breath With confidence and self-control I look at the world and see no understanding I'm waiting to find some sense of strength I'm begging you from the bottom of my heart To show me understanding I need to live life Like some people never will So find me kindness Find me beauty Find me truth When temptation brings me to my knees And I lay here drained of strength Show me kindness Show me beauty Show me truth The way your heart sounds makes all the difference It's what decides if you'll endure the pain that we all feel The way your heart beats makes all the difference In learning to live Here before me is my soul I'm learning to live I won't give up till I've no more to give No more to give Listening to the city Whispering its violence I set out watching from above The 90s bring new questions New solutions to be found I fell in love to be let down Once again we dance in the crowd At times a step away From a common fear that's all spread out It won't listen to what you say Once you're touched you stand alone To face the bitter fight Once I reached for love And now I reach for life Another chance to lift my life Free the sensation in my heart To ride the wings of dreams into changing horizons It brings inner peace within my mind, As I'm lifted from where I've split my life I hear an innocent voice I hear kindness, beauty and truth The way your heart sounds makes all the difference It's what decides if you'll endure the pain that we all feel The way your heart beats makes all the difference In learning to live Spread before you is your soul So forever hold the dreams within our hearts Through nature's inflexible grace I'm learning to live Analysis Through Learning to Live is heavily metaphorical, some sense can be made of it. The song is said to be about the AIDS crisis, which in 1992 was quite prevalent. The opening line "He had no time for pain, no energy for anger" is said to be borrowed from the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, said to be an influence on Myung. Tone Learning to Live is the longest and most progressive song on Images and Words and is the band's first officially released song to go beyond ten minutes long. The song reprises the piano theme from Wait for Sleep, making the songs somewhat of a pair. Notes Learning to Live was originally known as Creep With Tonality. Live Performances Live performances of Learning to Live are quite common, and even when the band does not play the entire song, it is a common element in medleys. The song is usually played fairly close to the original, though Jordan Rudess has been known to add parts to it. The outro is usually sung by the audience. Appearances * Images and Words - Original recorded version * Once in a LIVEtime - Live version * Live Scenes from New York - Live version * Chaos in Motion - Live medley * Images and Words 15th Anniversary Performance - Live version * Images and Words Demos - Instrumental demo and pre-production demo * Los Angeles, California 5/18/98 - Live medley * Tokyo, Japan 10/28/95 - Live version * Old Bridge, New Jersey 12/14/96 - Live version * New York City 3/4/93 - Live version Category:Songs Category:Images and Words era